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- Art. 5a FC
- Art. 6 FC
- Art. 10 FC
- Art. 16 FC
- Art. 17 FC
- Art. 20 FC
- Art. 22 FC
- Art. 29a FC
- Art. 30 FC
- Art. 32 FC
- Art. 42 FC
- Art. 43 FC
- Art. 43a FC
- Art. 55 FC
- Art. 56 FC
- Art. 60 FC
- Art. 68 FC
- Art. 75b FC
- Art. 77 FC
- Art. 96 para. 2 lit. a FC
- Art. 110 FC
- Art. 117a FC
- Art. 118 FC
- Art. 123b FC
- Art. 136 FC
- Art. 166 FC
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- Art. 11 CO
- Art. 12 CO
- Art. 50 CO
- Art. 51 CO
- Art. 84 CO
- Art. 143 CO
- Art. 144 CO
- Art. 145 CO
- Art. 146 CO
- Art. 147 CO
- Art. 148 CO
- Art. 149 CO
- Art. 150 CO
- Art. 701 CO
- Art. 715 CO
- Art. 715a CO
- Art. 734f CO
- Art. 785 CO
- Art. 786 CO
- Art. 787 CO
- Art. 788 CO
- Transitional provisions to the revision of the Stock Corporation Act of June 19, 2020
- Art. 808c CO
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- Art. 2 PRA
- Art. 3 PRA
- Art. 4 PRA
- Art. 6 PRA
- Art. 10 PRA
- Art. 10a PRA
- Art. 11 PRA
- Art. 12 PRA
- Art. 13 PRA
- Art. 14 PRA
- Art. 15 PRA
- Art. 16 PRA
- Art. 17 PRA
- Art. 19 PRA
- Art. 20 PRA
- Art. 21 PRA
- Art. 22 PRA
- Art. 23 PRA
- Art. 24 PRA
- Art. 25 PRA
- Art. 26 PRA
- Art. 27 PRA
- Art. 29 PRA
- Art. 30 PRA
- Art. 31 PRA
- Art. 32 PRA
- Art. 32a PRA
- Art. 33 PRA
- Art. 34 PRA
- Art. 35 PRA
- Art. 36 PRA
- Art. 37 PRA
- Art. 38 PRA
- Art. 39 PRA
- Art. 40 PRA
- Art. 41 PRA
- Art. 42 PRA
- Art. 43 PRA
- Art. 44 PRA
- Art. 45 PRA
- Art. 46 PRA
- Art. 47 PRA
- Art. 48 PRA
- Art. 49 PRA
- Art. 50 PRA
- Art. 51 PRA
- Art. 52 PRA
- Art. 53 PRA
- Art. 54 PRA
- Art. 55 PRA
- Art. 56 PRA
- Art. 57 PRA
- Art. 58 PRA
- Art. 59a PRA
- Art. 59b PRA
- Art. 59c PRA
- Art. 62 PRA
- Art. 63 PRA
- Art. 67 PRA
- Art. 67a PRA
- Art. 67b PRA
- Art. 75 PRA
- Art. 75a PRA
- Art. 76 PRA
- Art. 76a PRA
- Art. 90 PRA
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- Vorb. zu Art. 1 FADP
- Art. 1 FADP
- Art. 2 FADP
- Art. 3 FADP
- Art. 5 lit. f und g FADP
- Art. 6 Abs. 6 and 7 FADP
- Art. 7 FADP
- Art. 10 FADP
- Art. 11 FADP
- Art. 12 FADP
- Art. 14 FADP
- Art. 15 FADP
- Art. 19 FADP
- Art. 20 FADP
- Art. 22 FADP
- Art. 23 FADP
- Art. 25 FADP
- Art. 26 FADP
- Art. 27 FADP
- Art. 31 para. 2 lit. e FADP
- Art. 33 FADP
- Art. 34 FADP
- Art. 35 FADP
- Art. 38 FADP
- Art. 39 FADP
- Art. 40 FADP
- Art. 41 FADP
- Art. 42 FADP
- Art. 43 FADP
- Art. 44 FADP
- Art. 44a FADP
- Art. 45 FADP
- Art. 46 FADP
- Art. 47 FADP
- Art. 47a FADP
- Art. 48 FADP
- Art. 49 FADP
- Art. 50 FADP
- Art. 51 FADP
- Art. 54 FADP
- Art. 57 FADP
- Art. 58 FADP
- Art. 60 FADP
- Art. 61 FADP
- Art. 62 FADP
- Art. 63 FADP
- Art. 64 FADP
- Art. 65 FADP
- Art. 66 FADP
- Art. 67 FADP
- Art. 69 FADP
- Art. 72 FADP
- Art. 72a FADP
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- Art. 2 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 3 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 4 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 5 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 6 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 7 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 8 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 9 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 11 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 12 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 25 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 29 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 32 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 33 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 34 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
FEDERAL CONSTITUTION
CODE OF OBLIGATIONS
FEDERAL LAW ON PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL LAW
LUGANO CONVENTION
CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
CIVIL PROCEDURE CODE
FEDERAL ACT ON POLITICAL RIGHTS
CIVIL CODE
FEDERAL ACT ON CARTELS AND OTHER RESTRAINTS OF COMPETITION
FEDERAL ACT ON INTERNATIONAL MUTUAL ASSISTANCE IN CRIMINAL MATTERS
DEBT ENFORCEMENT AND BANKRUPTCY ACT
FEDERAL ACT ON DATA PROTECTION
SWISS CRIMINAL CODE
CYBERCRIME CONVENTION
- I. History of origins
- II. Significance of the provision
- III. Election registration deadline
- Materials
- Bibliography
I. History of origins
1 The registration deadline for election proposals or the time window for this has been brought forward in several steps over the years. The reason for this is the continuing increase in the number of lists and candidates and the bringing forward of the distribution of ballot papers to voters. The unchecked increase in the number of lists and candidates leads to an increase in the time required for checking and clearing up the election proposals and for printing the election material.
2 In the Federal Act of 14 February 1919 concerning the election of the National Council, the deadline for registration was originally set at the 20th day (third last Monday) before election day. In 1946 it was brought forward for the first time to the 34th day (fifth-last Monday), and in 1974 finally to the 48th day (seventh-last Monday) before election day. This regulation was incorporated unchanged into the new Federal Act on Political Rights in 1976. The PRA revision of 1994 introduced a time window: Cantonal law could now designate "a Monday between 1 August and 30 September of the election year" as the last date for registering to vote. With the 2014 revision, the time window was narrowed to "a Monday in August of the election year".
II. Significance of the provision
A. General
3 The second chapter of the PRA contains the rules on proportional representation as they apply to the 20 cantons that have more than one National Council seat to fill. The electoral law for the proportional representation cantons has an election proposal procedure. Anyone wishing to stand for election must be formally nominated. The National Council election law does not contain any provisions on the preliminary procedure. It is up to the parties and groups how they select their candidates. Section 1 of Chapter 2 contains the provisions on the election proposal procedure. Article 21 of the PRA regulates the election registration deadline. A binding deadline for the submission of election proposals serves to ensure the orderly preparation and conduct of the election.
B. Legal comparison
4 The cantons also know an election proposal procedure (registration procedure) and a binding registration deadline for parliamentary elections conducted on the basis of proportional representation. The election proposals must reach the competent authorities between the sixth-last Monday before election day (FR, OW) and the eleventh-last Monday before election day (BE).
5 For the different arrangements of the election registration deadline in the cantons for the National Council elections, see the explanations below.
III. Election registration deadline
A. Determination in cantonal law (para. 1)
6 The last possible date for the submission of election proposals is a "Monday in August of the election year". Within the framework of this requirement, the cantons determine their election filing deadline.
7 Pursuant to Article 8a paragraph 1 PRA, each canton must inform the Federal Chancellery by 1 March of the election year which Monday it has set as the deadline for electoral registration (and whether it has set the clearance period at seven or fourteen days, cf. Art. 29 paragraph 4 PRA).
8 For the 2023 National Council elections, six cantons chose the first possible date (7 August 2023; eleventh last Monday or 76th day before election day: ZH, BE, GR, AG, TI, GE). Five cantons chose the tenth-last Monday (69th day) before the election date (SZ, ZG, SO, TG, VS). Four cantons chose the ninth last Monday (BL, SH, SG, VD), five cantons the eighth last Monday (LU, FR, BS, NE, JU). In each case, the date resulted from a regulation in the cantonal law or the cantonal ordinance, or it was set in the cantonal government's election order.
9 Individual cantons also know a start date for the submission of election proposals, such as the cantons of St. Gallen or Thurgau, where the cantonal government sets this date. For the 2023 National Council elections, the canton of St Gallen has set 3 April 2023 as the start of the submission deadline, which is around four and a half months before the election registration deadline (21 August 2023). In the canton of Thurgau, the earliest possible date for submitting election proposals was set for 5 June 2023, a good two months before the registration deadline (14 August 2023). The canton of Vaud has a very short submission deadline: for the 2023 National Council elections, this was set for the period from 14 August 2023, 8 a.m., to 21 August 2023, 12 noon.
10 It is incumbent on cantonal law to determine the authority to which election proposals are to be submitted (Art. 21 para. 1 PRA, second sentence). According to Article 7a CPD, it is the cantonal government that designates the official body that manages and supervises the electoral business and receives the election proposals ("cantonal electoral office"). The cantons have designated the competent authority partly by law, partly by ordinance or government resolutions. As a rule, the authorities in charge of elections are the state chancelleries, in a few cantons other authorities (e.g. ZH: Statistical Office of the Canton of Zurich, LU: Department of Justice and Security, VD: Service des Communes et du logement).
11 According to the traditional circular letters of the Federal Council to the cantonal governments for the National Council elections, which are issued about a year before election day, the governments must call on voters to submit their election proposals in good time. They shall draw their attention to the submission deadlines and the content requirements for the election proposals in accordance with Article 21 et seq. PRA. In the cantons, the detailed rules of the game for the upcoming National Council elections are regularly laid down by government council resolutions ("election order") and announced on the homepages of the cantons and in the official gazettes - in each case around six to twelve months before election day.
B. Latest date (para. 2)
12 The election proposals must "arrive" at the canton at the latest on the day of the election registration deadline (according to paragraph 1). The text of the law speaks of "arrive", not of "submit". This means that the election proposals must be received by the electoral authority by the deadline. Timely posting does not meet the deadline - unlike, for example, in administrative appeal and judicial proceedings. The Federal Council explicitly states this in its circulars on the National Council elections, and the cantonal governments' election instructions and information refer to this fact. The regulation regarding the submission of optional referendums pursuant to Article 59a PRA is analogous: in order to be validly submitted, the signature sheets must "arrive" at the Federal Chancellery within the referendum deadline.
13 The cantons set different times for timely submission on the deadline date. For the 2023 National Council elections, the following times have been determined as the time for the last possible submission of election proposals: 9 a.m.: BS; 12 p.m.: BE, LU, FR, BL, GR, AG, VD, VS, GE, JU; 4.30 p.m.: SZ, TG; 5 p.m.: ZH, ZG, SO, SH, SG, NE; 6 p.m.: TI. All these times are considered admissible. The PRA itself recognises a filing deadline of 12 noon for cantons that provide for the possibility of a silent election in the case of a majority election (Art. 47 para. 2 PRA).
14 The submission deadline is a forfeiture deadline, not an order requirement. An election proposal submitted late is invalid. This legal consequence is implicit in the wording of Art. 21 para. 2 PRA ("must arrive no later than (...)"). It is sometimes explicitly stated in the cantonal election regulations for the National Council elections. The deadline, including the specified precise time, is a binding point in time. Election proposal procedures are characterised by a certain formal rigour. Compliance with the deadlines is of great importance here, so that the election can be properly prepared and held on time within a tight schedule (publication of the names of the candidates, clearing up of the election proposals, printing of the ballot papers, etc.).
15 Nominations that are received in time but are defective can be corrected within the purification period (see the explanations in OK-PRA on Art. 29 PRA).
16 In the meantime, in many cantons the parties can enter the election proposals directly in the cantonal election software and then print out the completed election proposal forms. In addition, it is possible to download the election proposal forms from the canton's homepage and fill them in manually. In order to be validly submitted, the election proposal forms must be sent to the competent authority in paper form and with all the necessary signatures by the deadline.
C. Notification to the Federal Chancellery (para. 3)
17 The cantons must immediately notify the Federal Chancellery of the election proposals received. "Without delay" means, according to the circular letter of the Federal Council, "without delay after the closing date for election nominations in electronic form" and in accordance with the technical requirements of the Federal Chancellery. The Federal Chancellery is particularly dependent on rapid notification in order to identify and avoid multiple candidatures. The cantons may also send election proposals received by the Federal Chancellery before the registration deadline. However, the parties can still change the election proposals up to the deadline. All subsequent changes must be notified to the Federal Chancellery.
Materials
Botschaft des Bundesrates über eine Teiländerung der Bundesgesetzgebung über die politischen Rechte vom 1.9.1993 (BBl 1993 III S. 445).
Botschaft des Bundesrates zur Änderung des Bundesgesetzes über die politischen Rechte vom 29.11.2013 (BBl 2013 S. 9217).
Kreisschreiben des Bundesrates an die Kantonsregierungen vom 19.10.2022 über die Gesamterneuerungswahl des Nationalrates vom 22.10.2023, (BBl 2022 S. 2547) (zit. Kreisschreiben BR NRW 2023, Ziff. …).
Beschluss 426/2023 des Regierungsrates des Kantons Zürich vom 5.4.2023 über die Erneuerungswahl der zürcherischen Mitglieder des schweizerischen Nationalrates für die Amtsdauer 2023–2027.
Beschluss 314/2023 des Regierungsrates des Kantons Bern vom 22.3.2023 über die Durchführung der Nationalratswahlen vom 22.10.2023.
Beschluss 31/2019 und Dekret des Regierungsrates des Kantons Schwyz vom 15.1.2019 für die National- und Ständeratswahlen vom 20.10.2019.
Dekret des Regierungsrates des Kantons Schwyz vom 24.1.2023 für die Nationalratswahlen vom 22.10.2023.
Information der Staatskanzlei des Kantons St. Gallen vom 21.11.2022 zur Erneuerungswahl der st. gallischen Mitglieder des Nationalrates (zit. Wahlinformation SG 21.11.2022).
Information der Staatskanzlei des Kantons Aargau vom 23.3.2023 zu den Nationalratswahlen 2023: Anleitung zum Wahlvorschlag.
Beschluss 473 des Regierungsrates des Kantons Thurgau vom 23.8.2022 betreffend Anordnung der Durchführung und Festsetzung der Termine für die eidgenössischen Wahlen 2023 und die kantonalen Erneuerungswahlen 2024.
Elections fédérales du 22 octobre 2023. 1) Election des 19 membres vaudois du Conseil national 2) Election des 2 membres vaudois du Conseil des Etats. Décision de convocation du Conseil d’Etat du canton de Vaud du 26 mai 2023.
Bibliography
Hangartner Yvo/Kley Andreas/Braun Binder Nadja/Glaser Andreas, Die demokratischen Rechte in Bund und Kantonen der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft, 2. Aufl., Zürich 2023.
Tschannen Pierre, Staatsrecht der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft, 5. Aufl., Bern 2021.